Love the Hard Way

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto ;'(

I changed some of my ideas instead of what I said would happen last chapter. You'll understand if you read...

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

XOXOX

"Inori!"

Loud muffles filled the hallway as the little three year old ran into the kitchen and into the awaiting arms of his mommy thereafter she had called him.

"Mommy, I'm hungry!" he complained as he started at his mommy, who held onto him tightly.

"Well, that's why I made you breakfast and if you got up when you were suppose to then your food would be hot still." Ino said, letting her little one back down on the floor.

Inori walked over to his high chair and waited for his food to appear before him. Ino chuckled as she watched the little ninja-to-be stroll over to his high chair and waited for his food. He was the most beautiful thing she ever laid her eyes on. She remembered the day she brought him into the world, with Shikamaru right by her side, holding her hand in a tight grip. The most painful, but yet also one of the best days of her life she had experienced. After all, she had a beautiful child and that was the same day that Shikamaru and her officially got back together again. While holding onto her newborn, her and Shikamaru gazed into each others eyes and kissed. They both remembered that day so vividly. Between their love and the love they had for their beautiful baby, they were a very happy family; just as it should be.

Inori still looks the same from when he was born, with brown hair that was spiked into one of Shikamaru's style ponytails, except he had a tint of blonde at the ends, the brightest blue eyes, Ino's eyes, and a cross of his mother's and father's facial features. Shikamaru's sharp nose, Ino's high cheek bones and cute chin. He was definitely born to be quite a looker, that's for sure. But his attitude contrasted against his good looks. He was incredibly lazy, just like his lazy father, but when he wanted, he could be very hyper and loud just like his mother. And of course his father's intelligence.

"Here you go, sweety," Ino said as she placed a plate of two pancakes and sausage in front of him. He definitely had Choji's apatite, but she limited him on his food, even though he has a great metabolism.

"Thanks mommy," And with that said, he began to dig into his somewhat cold food, not even stopping to take a drink of his milk until he was already finished with his food. "More please."

Ino smiled. "No, I don't think so, Inori. You had enough for now."

A frown etched onto his features, just making him even more adorable in her eyes. "Fine. Where's dad?"

As if on cue, he slumped into the kitchen, sat at the table and laid his head down.

"Of course he's falling asleep on the table," she muttered to herself. Shikamaru mumbled something incoherent into his arms. "Excuse me?"

Shikamaru groaned and lifted his head to look at his beautiful wife. "I said that I only got a couple of hours of sleep because I got in late last night."

"From a mission?" Ino asked.

He eyed her strangely. "Yes, from a mission."

"That you can't tell me about," Ino pushed on.

"No."

"Whatever," she remarked at him and turned around to get her annoying husband his equally cold breakfast. She had long since made a rule that if they were not up by breakfast, then she wasn't reheating it. Something about them both being too lazy.

"I don't have time to eat, I need to go see Tsunade," he said as he stood up from the table and looked at his son with a smile. "So why don't you eat up my share, kid?"

The smile on his face was all he needed to ignore the glare on his wife's face.

"Thanks daddy!"

XOXOX

Even if Ino's and her marriage was pleasant per say, Ino was always suspicious of him. Ever since that incident a few years back with Temari, she always watched him closely when she heard that the sand girl was in her town. Much like now. Shikamaru had assured her that it was all political business and that was all she was here for. Part of Ino wanted to believe him, but part of her didn't. She really wanted to believe him, but Ino was just too afraid to ever fully open up to Shikamaru again. Ino truly loved Shikamaru, but her feelings were more covered up than they were when the two were together as teenagers. She knew Shikamaru knew this as well, but he never commented on it.

So, as Ino walked to the market with Inori holding her hand, she didn't expect to see Shikamaru and Temari walking up to them.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing out here?" Ino asked as they stood in front of each other.

Shikamaru sighed. "Oh fuck, she won't take this well," he thought as he rubbed the back of his neck, a sign of being nervous and Ino knew that. "Ino, Tsunade wanted me to take-"

"Me out to dinner, so we were just heading to a restaurant to go eat," Temari finished for Shikamaru. She ignored his frantic eyes and continued to smile at Ino, who looked like she was about to pounce her.

"Only because we the Chunin exams are finally finished and she wanted us to go out to celebrate. That's all, Ino," Shikamaru explained quickly before Ino could muster a word in.

"Oh, really?" Ino asked in return, through gritted teeth.

"Mom, you're hurting my hand," Inori said up to his mother who quickly let go of his hand and looked down at him to make sure he was okay. She hadn't even realized she was squeezing his hand.

"Sorry, hunny," she apologized and looked back to Shikamaru and Temari's faces. Temari was smirking while Shikamaru looked down right scared.

"So, Ino, where are heading to?" Shikamaru wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask her that, or let alone anything right now, but he waned to try to take the attention of of him and Inori.

"The market, to get some groceries," she replied in an annoyed tone. No doubt she knew what Shikamaru was trying to do.

"Can I go with dad, mom?" Ino looked at her little boy with a frown. "Please?" he continued to beg.

"That's probably a good idea. This way you won't have to worry about him while getting on, Inori."

"Yay!"

"B-," Ino cut herself off before she even finished. Inori obviously wanted to go with his father and this way she knew nothing would happen with Shikamaru and Temari, even if she didn't like the idea of them being anywhere near each other, let alone going to dinner together! "Fine, I'll see you at home."

And with that, she walked past them, bumping into Temari's shoulder. She always thought this day might come, but left it in the back of her head for so long. She was finally loosing her grip on the only guy she ever truly loved.

XOXOX

Instead of going to the market, Ino decided to go speak with Tsunade about her sending her husband to dinner with another girl, especially a girl who tried taring them apart before.

On her way to the Hokage mansion, she ran into Kiba, who also was heading there to talk to Tsunade, so they decided to walk together. Kiba waited outside Tsunade's door while Ino was allowed in.

"What do you need, Ino," Tsunade asked while filling through paper work, not even looking her way.

"With all due respect, I would to like to know why you sent Shikamaru and Temari out to dinner." Well that got her attention finally. "I understand that it was because the Chunin exams are done, but just don't understand why you would send them to dinner."

"Ino... I don't know what you're talking about. I never sent them out to dinner."

XOXOX

Ino stumbled out out the Hokage's office with her world spinning before her eyes. She was dizzy, so dizzy that she could barely see anything in front of her. She ended up falling into Kiba's arm, she knew by his worried voice when he asked her what was wrong, and began silently crying into his chest. Forgetting about his meeting with Tsunade, he quickly exited the building with Ino and walked her home.

Kiba had no idea what was even going on, but he wanted to be there for her, afraid of what would happen if he wasn't with her. When Ino's house was coming into view, he stopped walking, making Ino stop as well, and looked at her tearful face.

"Ino, wh-what's going on?" He had to know what was going through her pretty head of hers. He worried for her and truly loved her, even if he never told her, and wanted to be there for her no matter the case.

"S-S-Shika-Shi-"

"Take a deep breath, Ino," he encouraged.

Nodding, Ino took a deep, but shaky, breath and exhaled. "S-Shikamaru... he-he's...," she couldn't finish before she started crying even more.

This really worried Kiba now. Was Shikamaru injured? Missing? Even dead? He was his friend and he wanted to know if his lazy friend was okay or not. "Is Shikamaru okay?"

Ino shook her head. "No... he's c-cheating on me w-with Temari!"

XOXOX

She waited for him to come home with a tear stained face as she sat in a recliner, n her living room. She couldn't remembered how long she had been waiting for her husband since Kiba finally left, promising she would pull through, but it felt like an eternity. She almost didn't hear the door creak open, but looked up just in time to see Shikamaru and Inori walking in.

"Why are all the lights off?" she heard Shikamaru say.

In return Ino flipped the switch next to her and the living room light turned on, making both the boys look at her in shock.

"Better?" Ino's dull voice barely reached the two of them.

"Inori, why don't you go up to your room for a little while," Shikamaru suggested, looking at his wife. She looked so lifeless and it really worried him. Her usually bright blue eyes look more of a dull gray than anything else. And her face, it was caked with dried tears. There was no way this was because of him and Temari today, it had to be something else. "Ino, what's going on?"

"Why don't you tell me, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru scrunched his eyebrows and walked up to his wife. "I don't know what your talking about. Just tell me what's going on."

Ino stood slowly, looking him in the eyes and took a deep breath. "I talked to Tsunade." Shikamaru tensed a bit but kept quiet. Fresh tears spilled down her face now. "I went t-to asked her why s-she would send you two together for d-dinner, but she didn't know what I was talking about." By this time Ino was in full out tears and crying hysterically.

"Ino-"

"No! Don't bother with your stupid ass excuses! I won't believe them," she screeched at the man who broke her heart more than any others had.

"Ino, you won't even let me explain," his voice was rising now. He could explain everything if she would just listen to him!

Ino shook her head violently. "I don't want to hear them, Shikamaru! Why can't you understand that?"

"Why can't you understand that I'm trying to tell you what really happened?" Shikamaru was now yelling back to Ino, frustrated that Ino only saw what she wanted to see and that's the end of it.

"Because you'll just lie to me again! I know what's really going on between you and that whore from Suna! You wanted to go out to a romantic dinner. Forget your wife, she doesn't matter when Temari's in town! End of story," Ino retorted back to her husband.

"Ino, she's not a whore! And I asked her to dinner because I never get to see her and she's a really good friend of mine. That's it, the end."

Ino quieted after a moment to let it all sink in. "Is this the first time something like this happened?" She was scared of the answer she might hear from him but she had to know.

"..."

That was all Ino needed to know today wasn't the first by any means. Ino nodded to herself and turned around, no longer wanting to look at Shikamaru. He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder but she quickly smacked it off, not wanting him to touch her with the same hand he probably touched Temari with.

That hurt Shikamaru. "Ino, there's nothing going on that you should be worried about." His voice was much softer now than before.

"Really? Then why am I worried?" She still didn't turn around, which annoyed Shikamaru.

"Because you never trust me anymore, Ino. How do you think that effects me, that my own wife doesn't trust me?!" So much for his quieter tone; long lived.

Ino spun around faster than Shikamaru could have reacted.

"Oh really? Well, maybe if you didn't give me a reason to not trust you then we wouldn't have this issue! And don't tell me I don't have anything to worry about, Shikamaru! I do to when you go around kissing other girls when you're with me."

Shikamaru threw his hands up in the air, clearly having enough of Ino's mouth. "That was over three years ago, Ino! Why can't you just forgive me for that. I apologized to you a million times and yet it seems like you don't even care."

The room was silent after that until Ino finally spoke up in a whisper. "I can't do this anymore, Shikamaru. I just can't."

"Ino, what are you saying...?"

Ino sighed heavily. "What I'm saying is that we can't do this anymore... We can't put Inori through this either. I-I think I want a-"

"Don't joke around like that Ino, it's not funny," Shikamaru interrupted her before she could even finish talking.

Ino smiled sadly at him. "I'm not joking. I want a divorce, Shikamaru."

"Ino..." No, this couldn't be happening. His heart felt like it was breaking into pieces now and all he wanted to do was hold Ino in his arms and tell her she was overreacting and that everything would be okay, but he also wanted to yell at her her decision. Either way, he wouldn't be able to have her anymore.

XOXOX

So how do you like it? I felt like my writing was HORRIBLE, but I'll leave that for you guys to decide. So I'm sure you can tell that I wrote it differently then I said I would, but the next chapter will be a time skip of two years into the future for this couple... or ex-couple (for now). Well thank you for reading and reviewing as always. Until next time...

~ShikaIno1